Oria-Riff 2025 McLaren Vale Semillon 'Old Vine Dry White'

"The 2025 Oria Riff Semillon comes from fruit grown in Fiona Wood's McLaren Vale vineyard. The vines here, planted around the same time as the Grenache in the same block, are now fully mature at approximately 60 years-old. At this age they have tap roots than run deep into the sand beneath them, enabling safe weathering of drought conditions such as those that ran through the '25 vintage.

A pale straw yellow to the eye, this wine is immensely reticent in the glass as if being examined at a distance. Placid and reserved, even vigorous coaxing does not unwind the core than one can distantly sense here of yellow peach and ocean-breeze nuances. Around this there is a more present veil of aromatics: citron, coriander seed, and candlewax. At the forefront, most present: nutty, savoury elements and florals along the lines of Brazil nut and pistachio, preserved lemon rind, honeysuckle and jasmine.

The palate is fuller than expected, with depth and weight balanced over a fine underline of acidity. Everything sits low in the mouth, with the phenolics tugging only the lower portions of the cheeks, as the wine recedes to a singularity of contained richness at the back end. Time will, of course, be kind to this wine. Meyer lemon, nuts, chicken salt, lemongrass; there is more mingling to the flavours here than the strict regularity of aromatics on the nose. Right at the end there is a faint fanning out: the coriander seed and Moroccan preserved lemon rind nuances finally emerge. This is certainly not our parents' Semillon. Distinct and different, more importantly fine." — David